Gatwick Airport launches UK’s first community noise lab – an online tool designed to help people monitor aircraft noise more accurately

• Innovative noise lab provides up to date information on aircraft noise
• Clearer picture of emerging trends to help with longer-term noise mitigation
• Developed with community in mind

LONDON, 2015-12-30 — /Travel PR News/ — Gatwick Airport has launched the UK’s first community noise lab – an innovative and interactive online tool designed to help local people more accurately monitor aircraft noise.

The new noise lab is modelled on a similar tool introduced by Schiphol Airport – the first of its kind in the world – and provides members of the public with better overflight information. It is hoped this will provide a clearer picture of emerging trends and help with the development of longer-term noise mitigation measures.

The new tool was developed with input from local council environmental health officers and GATCOM – Gatwick’s Consultative Committee. It uses live data from a network of on-the-ground noise monitors to produce community noise reports.

The innovative tool was developed by Casper, an IT company specialising in the development of real-time location-based monitoring and analysis tools and can be viewed here: http://noiselab.casper.aero/lgw/.

Tom Denton, Gatwick’s Head of Corporate Responsibility, said:

“This noise lab provides up-to-date flight tracking information which will help us to more accurately monitor concerns and, in time, consider options for further noise mitigation measures.

“We recognise aircraft noise is a real problem for some people and we are determined to do what we can to minimise the amount we generate and mitigate against its effects. This lab is just one of a number of measures we’re introducing, to better understand people’s concerns.”  

Gatwick is also pursuing many measures to reduce aircraft noise, including:

• incentivising airlines by charging them less to use quieter aircraft – almost all (99%) of the aircraft currently using Gatwick are among the quietest types in operation, and
• employing a continuous descent approach, so aircraft use less thrust by gliding and descending at a continuous rate – generating significantly less noise.

Noise generated by the airport has been steadily reducing, as demonstrated by the land area (noise contour) covered by the loudest noise levels reducing from 94.5km² to 85.6km² in the past six years. Additionally, Gatwick spent £2.35 million on its industry leading noise insulation scheme last year – a 95% take up of the allocated budget – with 730 households signing up to receive £3,600 of acoustic insulation.

 

Notes to Editors

While other UK airports have introduced flight trackers these have a 24 hour delay and do not provide as detailed information on aircraft movements.

 

ENDS

About London Gatwick
Gatwick Airport is the UK’s second largest airport and the most efficient single-runway airport in the world. It serves more than 200 destinations in 90 countries for more than 40 million passengers a year on short and long-haul point-to-point services. It is also a major economic driver for the South-East region, generating around 21,000 on-airport jobs and a further 10,000 jobs through related activities. The airport is 28 miles south of London with excellent public transport links, including the Gatwick Express. Gatwick Airport is owned by a group of international investment funds, of which Global Infrastructure Partners is the largest shareholder.

The Government is currently considering whether London Gatwick or Heathrow should be permitted to build a new runway.  Expansion at Gatwick will best meet the UK’s aviation needs for the future, can provide the greatest economic boost with the least environmental impact, and a new runway can be operational by 2025. For further information, see: www.gatwickobviously.com.

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